Webinars

Free Webinar on November 18th - Register Now

Explore New Strategies in STEM Education Practical resources and innovative techniques. A look at reshaping curricula in your school.  Join The Virtual High School for a 1-hour webinar to see how digital learning opportunities   can transform STEM education.    STEM Education in the Digital Age Hosted By: The Virtual High School Presented By: Kim Spangenberg, VHS Manager of STEM Moderated by: Cheryl Rosenberg, Online Learning Strategist Date/Time: Tuesday, November 18th from 12pm - 1pm ET Cost: Free of Charge ------ Register Online ----- Blended Learning Solutions for Language Learning Success   November 18 Please join us for our Webinar on November 18th  at 2PM ET on how to create effective digital and  classroom-based solutions for ELL programs in  any learning environment. With more than four million English Language  Learners in U.S. schools, districts are struggling to  find effective, affordable solutions that help non-native  English speakers succeed in K-12 and beyond. This session, lead by renowned ELL expert, Jim Cummins,  will discuss solutions for language learning success,  including concrete strategies from teachers and administrators.     Free Webinar Casper Focus - Managing iPads in the Digital Classroom November 19 Please join us for our Webinar on how to fully harness the  power of the iPad in a digital classroom. Teachers will  learn how to perform classroom management tasks from their own iPad — without assistance from the IT department. Casper Focus solutions allows teachers to: Focus students on a single app or Safari webpage with the tap of a button, Clear passcodes on a student's iPad if they  forget it - without going through IT,  Easily prompt students to share and present on Apple TV, and Regain valuable instruction time through improved class management     Reading to Learn: Creative Supports Beyond 3rd Grade Retention Students who aren't reading well by 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19, studies  show. That's why 33 states and Washington, D.C., have passed  laws intended to ensure proficient reading by 3rd grade. Join  D. Ray Reutzel, the director of the Early Childhood Center at Utah  State University, and Krista Calvert, the project manager of the  Literacy Lab Classroom Cohort in Kansas City, Kansas, for a  discussion on going beyond retention to use creative ways to  help students cross the bridge from "learning to read" to  "reading to learn." Underwriting for the content of this webinar is provided by The  William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Guests: Krista Calvert, project manager, Literacy Lab Classroom Cohort,  Kansas City, Kan. D. Ray Reutzel, distinguished professor and director, Early  Childhood Center, Utah State University This webinar will be moderated by Sarah D. Sparks, assistant editor, Education Week Register now for this free live webinar.

 

Two more SERC Workshops!

Navigating Complex Informational Texts in the Age of the Common Core

Two day session – 12/03/14, Wednesday, 9-3, SERC Library Community Room

1/7/15, Wednesday, 9-3, SERC Classroom

Audience:  Grades 4-8; Intermediate and Middle School General and Special Education Teachers and Administrators

College and career readiness depend on a student’s ability to navigate complex texts,

gather information, and communicate their learning in meaningful ways. This two-day

session will demonstrate instructional practices for navigating complex texts as well as

examine the connection between a student’s reading comprehension and their ability to respond in writing. Participants will explore ways in which writing can facilitate comprehension.

For more information and to register:  http://15-45-091.eventbrite.com

Reading Comprehension and Close Reading for All

Two day session – 12/04/14, Thursday, 9-3, SERC Library Community Room

1/9/15, Friday, 9-3, SERC Library Community Room

Audience: K-Grade 12; General and Special Education Teachers and ELL/ESL Teachers

Students with reading disabilities need certain tools when navigating grade-level

content. This two-day learning opportunity will demonstrate the discrete skills that

expert readers possess and methods for teaching these skills in order to raise student

achievement, especially for struggling readers and students with disabilities.

For more information and to register:  https://15-45-071.eventbrite.com

Check out these workshops coming up at SERC --- Workshops fills up quickly so get your registrations in!

Math for English Language Learners (K-5)

Wednesdays 2/25/15 and 3/25/15 from 9:00 – 3:30 at SERC

Join us for a two day workshop which addresses key issues for ELLs such as language acquisition principles, appropriate scaffolding of content, assessment protocols, and effective use of technology in an effort to maintain rigorous, standards-aligned instruction.

Participants will learn specific math instructional strategies that provide the necessary supports to ensure that ELL students understand and are able to apply appropriate math content.

For further information or to register go to https://15-21-063.eventbrite.com

Math Instruction for Struggling Math Learners

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 and Thursday, January 22, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

This professional learning opportunity will introduce teachers to best practices in math instruction specifically aimed at struggling math learners. It will examine some of the research-based practices in detail and show how they align with the CT Core Standards for Mathematics.

For more information or to register, go to https://15-21-064.eventbrite.com

Science Content Literacy: Grades 6-12

Friday, November 14, 2014 and Wednesday, December 17, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

In this two day workshop science educators will learn reading comprehension techniques that will improve outcomes for students, grades 6-12, as well as increase their meaningful participation and achievement in the science content area. Topics include the authentic use of graphic organizers, content-specific vocabulary activities, science notebooks, and reciprocal teaching strategies; receive an overview of differentiation, gradual release, and inquiry-based instructional models; and better understand the commonalities between literacy comprehension skills and science processing skills.

For more information or to register go to https://15-26-092.eventbrite.com 

Halloween

Okay, I know some do and some don't for those who do or just wish to learn something, check out these sites:

From the History Channel:  Halloween - videos on:  Bet you didn't know:  Halloween, Bet you didn't know:  Witches, All about the pumpkin, History of Halloween, Halloween around the world, History of the Jack O' Lantern, Pumpkin facts, The Halloween pumpkin:  An American History, Halloween by the numbers (Yikes, that's a lot of candy!), Halloween photo gallery, History of Ghost Stories, and Ghosts in the White House.




From The American Folklife Center - The Library of Congress:  Halloween:  The fantasy and folklore of all Hallows, by Jack Santino, September 1982; updated 2009

From livescience:  Reference:  History of Halloween, by Benjamin Radford, Live Science Contributor, 10-22-14

From Wikipedia:  Halloween